Review: Den Girige

Lilla Teatern has picked up a real classic to the repertoire for its jubilee year – 70. The ensemble on stage is a hit that, with Neil Hardwick’s direction, makes every friend of the theater enjoy every minute. It’s rare that I also feel so warm about the costumes as this time – Sari Salmela should be praised for this.

The Greedy One had its world premiere in Paris in the autumn of 1668. Despite its 350 years of history, it is just as relevant today as it was then. Greed and greed for money are now and will probably continue to be a characteristic that governs our behavior – more or less.

The Greedy One tells us about Harpagon, who is ruled by his greed for money. The fact that love and relationships are allowed to step aside in the fumes of friction makes the whole thing a very interesting depiction of how difficult life can be – or really how difficult it is to choose. But The Greedy should not be seen as something heavy, on the contrary, it is a comedy that makes the audience burst into spontaneous laughter at regular intervals. Since Lillan’s actors do a great job on stage, the audience follows the events almost without blinking an eye.

Asko Sarkola played the Harpagon 30 years ago. Now he’s doing it again. You are stunned by the achievements he makes. His facial expressions are widely known, but the empathy he has also energizes the entire performance. The son Cleante is played by Sampo Sarkola and the daughter Elise by Åsa Wallenius, and she does so in her favour.

Pekka Strang, Sixten Lundberg, Joachim Wigelius, Tom Wentzel, Eeva-Liisa Haimelin, Amanda Löfman and Pia Runnakko play their roles well. Above that, one should especially mention Matts Stenlund, he shines in his funny role as the prankster La Flèche.

Strangely enough, the show was not sold out. With the excellence offered by Lillan’s ensemble, anyone who finds a free evening should buy a ticket to Den Greedy. There is no point in saving money now – it is worth going to one of the remaining performances of the spring.